Palm Beach County · Florida · South · 122k residents
West Palm Beach, FL: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for West Palm Beach: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Florida median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in West Palm Beach is $414,200, 13% above the Florida median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,826/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 109 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $73,446 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in West Palm Beach is $414,200, 13.1% above the median for ACS-covered places in Florida.
- Household income: Median household income is $73,446, 0.6% below the median for ACS-covered places in Florida.
- Adult education: 39.2% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.9% above the median for ACS-covered places in Florida.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 5.6 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Palm Beach County city where waterfront parks, arts, and tropical urban life meet.
Known for: Clematis Street, waterfronts, Norton Museum, and Palm Beach access.
Calendar note: SunFest is the city’s defining annual music festival.
Story source: The Palm Beaches
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places West Palm Beach about 2 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 240 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 28 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare West Palm Beach side by side
Cost of living index
109
ACS median home value
$414,200
2-bedroom rent
$1,826/mo
Median household income
$73,446
Housing momentum
How fast West Palm Beach's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
46/100
Steady
Ranks West Palm Beach's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by West Palm Beach's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $414,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $260 |
| Property tax rate | 0.8% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,661/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,826/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 109 |
| Groceries index | 103 |
| Utilities | $180/mo |
| Transit pass | $65/mo |
| Gas price | $3.25/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,000/mo |
| Median household income | $73,446 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% |
| Population | 122k |
| Crime index | 45/100 |
| School rating | 5.8/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 240 days |
| July high | 90°F |
| January low | 58°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -1.5% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +3.2% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Ocean coast | < 3 mi |
| Big lake | 48 mi |
| Mountains | 580 mi |
| Major airport | 45 mi |
| Ski resort | 643 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Riviera Beach, FL · 39k
- Palm Springs, FL · 27k
- Lake Worth Beach, FL · 43k
- Greenacres, FL · 44k
- Palm Beach Gardens, FL · 61k
Similar size
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- Clearwater, FL · 117k
- Palm Bay, FL · 130k
Real listings in West Palm Beach
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in West Palm Beach, FL?
- West Palm Beach indexes at 109 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,826/mo and a acs median home value of $414,200.
- How much does a house cost in West Palm Beach?
- The acs median home value in West Palm Beach is $414,200, 13% above the Florida median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in West Palm Beach?
- A two-bedroom in West Palm Beach rents for about $1,826/mo.